Stop mechanism for talking-machines



F. C. HINCKLEY. STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1-918. 1,390,713. ep 13,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. C. HINCKLEY. STOP MECHANISM FOB TALKING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. I918. 1,390,71 3. PatentedSept'B, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Gttonwq S F. C. HINGKLEY. STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1M8.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. HINCKLEY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGE- PORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,710.

and especially to mechanism designed for stopping the rotary record support of a sound-reproducing machine.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide stop mechanism for sound-reproducing machines comprising a brake member normally urged into braking engagement with the rotary record-support and a member moved by a movable sound-conveying element in communicationwith the reproducer, said last-named member normally retaining the brake member out of braking position but releasing said brake member at a predetermined point in the travel of the reproducer. Devices of this type heretofore provided, however, have had the serious disadvantage that the brake member could be released or moved into braking position only when the reproducer was at said predetermined point in its travel. Therefore, the machine was always started whenever the reproducer and sound-conveying element were moved. to one side of the record-support for changing records, no means being provided whereby the record-support could be maintained stationary except when the reproducer was at the inner limit of its travel. Furthermore, as the stop mechanism was actuated only by movement of the reproducer to the predetermined point in its travel, the machine could not be stopped, if it were desired to discontinue the reproduction prior to completion, without manually moving the reproducer to said predetermined point.

It is an object of this invention to provide a stop mechanism for SOUHdIGPIOdHC- ing machines, comprising .a brake member for engagement with the rotary record-support and a member moved by a sound-conveying element for controlling the same, wherein the rotary record-support may be maintained stationary during the changing of records and wherein said support may be stopped at any time and at any point in the travel of the reproducer, irrespective of the position at which it is preset for automatic stopping.

The invention is of the type disclosedv broadly in the application of Hinckley, Serial N 0. 164,725, filed April 26, 1917.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stop mechanism of the type preferred to which may be set to stop the machine automatically at a predetermined point in the travel of the reproducer or to stop the machine only by manual movement of an element thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide stop mechanism of the type referred to with means whereby the member moved by the sound-conveying element may be conveniently and quickly set to automatically stop the machine at any desired point in the travel. of the reproducer and which presetting of said member may be readily obtained by the movement of the reproducer to that point at which it is desired to stop the machine.

Other objects relate to the provision of a stop mechanism which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply and manipulate, and efficient in operation.

Stated broadly, the invention comprises, in combination with a rotary record-support and asound-conveying element, shown as a tone-arm, abrake member, shown as a lever normally urged into braking engagement with the rotary record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, and means connected with the brake member and coacting with said movable member, shown as a pivoted latch. for controlling said brake member; The invention also comprises certain features of construction as will hereinafter be pointed out.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which is shown on the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sound-reproducing machine provided with the improved stop mechanism, such mechanism being shown in a position just prior to the automatic operation thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the parts just subsequent to the automatic operation;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the parts in position to be operated only by manual movement of the sound conveying element;

Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a sound-reproducing machine with elements of the stop mechanism in detached relation; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the member moved by the sound-conveying element and the coiiperating friction rings.

Referring in detail to said drawings, wherein the same characters of reference are used to designate corresponding parts in the several figures, 1 is the rotary record-support and 2 a record carried thereby of any usual construction. 3 represents a conventional reproducer and 4 a tone-arm in communication therewith, said tone-arm being mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis provided by the tone-arm support 5. As shown, said tone-arm, near its lower end, is reduced to provide a shoulder 6, a key or rib 7, and one or more bayonet slots 8. Mounted on the aforesaid reduced portion of the tone-arm is a member 9 to be moved by the tone-arm during normal operation of the machine but also capable of relative rotation with respect to the tonearm for purposes of adjustment as will be hereinafter explained. To provide for the normal rotation of member 9 with the tonearm, together with a provision for rotative adjustment with respect thereto, a suitable friction'drive is provided intermediate the tone-arm and said member. While the friction drive may take a variety of constructions, the form shown comprises a pair of metal rings 10 provided with key slots 11 to receive the key or rib 7, said rings being mounted on either side of the member 9 and in engagement therewith. The upper ring 10 is positioned against the abutment provided by the shoulder 6, and, to maintain the rings in frictional engagement with the member 9, a coiled spring 12 is interposed between the lower ring and a lock ring 13 provided with one or more projections for engagement in the bayonet slot or slots 8.

The tone-arm support 5 is shown as provided, for a part of the circumference of the horizontal flange 14 designed to engage the top wall or partition in the machine casing, with a double wall to constitute a chamber 15 within which the member 9 is designed to move. The end alls of said chamber are so position as to constitute stops for member 9 as will be hereinafter explained, and, as shown, an adjustable abutment in the form of a set-screw 16 provided with a lock nut 17 may be threaded through one of said end walls for varying the limit of movement of said member 9 in one direction.

Member 9 in the form shown comprises a ring portion 18 adapted to embrace the reduced portion of the tone-arm and with which the friction rings 10 engage, said rings being cut out to receive the key or rib 7 and provide for the relative movement of said member with respect to the tone-arm, and a sector-shaped portion 20 provided with an arcuate face 21 concentric with the axis of movement of said member and a recessed portion 22 to provide a shoulder 23 at one end of said arcuate face. Member 9 is also preferably provided with means for manually manipulating the same and, as shown, this may be conveniently provided by bending up a finger-piece 24 at the end of the recess opposite the shoulder 23. A brake member is provided, said member "preferably having a normal tendency to engage the rotary record-support 1. In the form shown, said brake member comprises a brake lever 25 carrying a brake pad 26, said brake lever being pivotally mounted at 27 on a bracket 28 secured by screws 29 to the top wall or partition of the machine casing. To normally urge brake pad 26 into braking engagement with the rotary record-support, a spring 30 is shown provided between a depending lug 31 on the brake lever 25 and an upstanding lug 32 on the bracket 28. Pivotally mounted at 33 on one end of the brake lever 25 is a latch 34, said latch being pro vided with a shoulder 35 designed to engage a shoulder 36 provided on the brake lever, a toe 37 designed to engage the member 9 and a lateral projection 38 with which connects a spring 39 to normally maintain the shoulders 35 and 36 in engagement. As shown, spring 39 is suitably connected at its opposite end with the bracket 28.

Brake lever 25, bracket 28 and latch 34 may be conveniently constructed of sheet metal, in which case the lug 40 carrying brake pad 26, the lug 31 and the shoulder 36 on the brake lever, the lug 32 on the bracket, and a lug 41 on the lateral projection 38 for attachment of the spring 39, may be conveniently provided by bent up sections of blanks suitably stamped from sheet material. Member 9, as well as the rings 10, may also be stamped out of sheet metal, the hand-piece 24 being bent up from the stamped blank as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The tone-arm support 5 is suitably secured to the top wall or partition of the ma.- chine casing, as by screws 42, and where one and said member.

of said screws passes through the bottom wall of the chamber 15, the top wall of said chamber may be provided with an alined aperture 43 and the member 9 with an aperture 44 which may be brought into alinement with aperture 43 whereby said screw 42 may be conveniently placed in position.

Where the stop mechanism is mounted on a machine provided with a hinged motorboard, the bracket 28 should be mounted to one side of the hinge line, as shown in Fig. 1, so as not to interfere with the proper movement of the motor-supporting section of said board.

Operation: Assuming, first, that the stop mechanism is to be set to operate automatically when the reproducer reaches a predetermined oint in its traverse of a record, the repro ucer is set at that point at which it is desired the machine shall sto Member 9 is then mani ulated by han -piece 24 so as to be move to its limit within the chamber 15 in a clockwise direction, that is, until the lateral edge of said member engages the end wall of the chamber 15 or the adjustable set-screw 16 when the latter is employed. In such position, the shoulder 23 of the member 9 is positioned with re spect to the tone-arm so that the toe 37 on the latch 34 will snap by said shoulder when the reproducer again reaches this point in its traverse of the record. The reproducer may now be swung to starting position, member 9 movingwith the tone-arm owing to the frictional drive between the tone-arm Latch 34 engaged by shoulder 23 will be turned on its pivot 33 against the tension of spring 39 until the same is tipped over into the position shown in Fig. 4, thereafter riding upon the arcuate face 21 of member 9. In this way, the brake pad is not withdrawn from the record-support by movement of the sound-conveying element to starting position.

The machine is started by grasping the extension 45 of brake lever 25 and moving the same in an anti-clockwise direction to its limit of movement. As brake lever 25 moves about its pivot 2", the latch 34 is moved out of engagement with the member 9. Spring 39 thereupon moves said latch about its pivot 33 until shoulder 35 engages shoulder 36 when the latch is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. If brake lever 25 now be released, spring 30 will move the lever in a clockwise direction until toe 37 of latch 34 engages the arcuate face 21 of member 9. In this position, the brake pad 26 is retained out of engagement with the rotary record-support 1.

During the reproduction, the reproducer and tone-arm rotate on their axis, and member 9 is carried therewith owing to the frictional drive provided by the rings 10, spring 12, and lock ring 13, the arcuate face 21 rubbing against the toe 37 of latch 34. The relative movement of these parts tends to maintain the shoulders 35 and 36 in engagement. When the shoulder 23 comes opposite the latch 34, however, the toe 37 is drawn into the recess 22 by spring 39 which is under tension, and the brake pad 26 is moved into braking position to frictionally engage the rotary record-support 1 and stop the same. It now it be desired that the stop mechanism be manipulated only by manual operation of an element of the machine, member 9 is moved in an anti-clockwise direction about the reduced. portion of the tone-arm until its lateral edge engages the op )osite or (in Fig. 1) the left-hand end wal of the chamber 15. In this position, although member 9 continues to move with the tone-arm during its traverse of the record in both directions, the shoulder 23 never comes opposite the latch 34 andtherefore the machine will not be stopped automatically at any time. In this position. of the parts, however, the brake may be actuated to stop the rotary record-support by movement of the tone-arm toward starting position from whatever position it may happen to occupy. Upon initial rotation of the member 9 in an anti-clockwise direction with latch 34 in engagement with, arcuate face 21, the relative movement of the parts tends to move latch 34 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 33 against the tension of the spring 39. This movement of the latch continues until said latch is tipped over onto its side, that is, to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the spring 30 may move the brake lever 25 so as to engage brake pad 26 with the rotary record-support 1. Upon starting the machine, however, by movement of brake lever 25 in an anti-clockwise direction about its pivot 27 against the tension of spring 30, the latch 34 as soon as it is disengaged from member 9 is rotated by spring 39 about the pivot 33 so as to present toe 37 in position. for engagement with the arcuate face 21 to retain the brake member out of braking position.

It will be observed. that, although the member 9 is positioned to permit movement of the brake member into braking position automatically at a predetermined point in the travel of the reproducer, said brake member may also be moved into braking position at any time and at any point in the travel of the reproducer by moving the reproducer toward starting position, whereupon the latch 34 will be tipped over and the spring 30 will apply the brake pad to the rotary record-support in the manner just described.

As heretofore explained, member 9 is positioned so that shoulder 23 will come opposite the latch 34 at a desired point in the travel of the reproducer by engaging member 9 with the right-hand lateral wall of chamber 15 or the set-screw 16 when the reproducer is in such position. If the member 9 is in such relation to the tone-arm that the former engaging such Wall or set-screw before the reproducer reaches the desired stopping point, it will be perceived that said member may be conveniently positioned by simply moving the reproducer to the desired stopping point, said member slipping with respect to the tone-arm during the latter part of the latters movement. If member 9 is not yet in engagement with said wall or set-screw when the reproducer is at the stopping point, member 9 must be thrown over until it engages said wallor set-screw by manipulation of hand-piece 24. Prior to setting the member 9, however, it may always be moved over too far manually and then conveniently set by moving the reproducer to stopping position, which movement automatically sets said member 9 so as to release the brake member at the proper point.

In case the shoulder 23 is not in position to permit toe 37 of latch 34 to just snap by the same when member 9 is moved in an anti-clockwise direction to its extreme position in the chamber 15, the limit position of member 9 may be varied by loosening the lock nut 17 and screwing in or out the setscrew 16. hen said member in engagement with said set-screw is so positioned that latch 34 will just snap past shoulder 23 and permit the application of the brake, the set-screw can be locked by lock nut 17 and thereafter member 9 may be promptly adjusted by swinging the same against the protruding end of set-screw 16 when the reproducer is in stopping position.

l/Vhile the embodiment of the invention shown on the drawings has been described with considerable particularity, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not to be restricted thereto, for it is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, some of which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, while certain features thereof are capable of use without other features thereof. Reference is therefore to be had to the claims hereto appended for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is l. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake lever adapted to engage said record-support, a pivoted latch carried thereby, and a member moved by said soundconveying element and engaged by said latch to retain said brake lever out of braking position.

2. The combination of a rotary record support, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, and a pivoted latch connected with said brake member and adapted to engage said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position.

3. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element and provided with a shoulder, and a pivoted latch connected with said brake member, said latch adapted to engage said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position and to release said brake member upon passing said shoulder.-

4. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, a pivoted latch connected to said brake member and adapted to engage said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position, said latch being movable with respect to said brake member to permit said brake member to move to braking position, and means to normally maintain said latch in brake-retaining position.

5. The combination of a rotary. recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, an adjustable member moved by the sound-conveying element and provided with a shoulder, a pivoted latch connected with said brake member, said latch adapted to engage said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position and to release said brake member upon passing said shoulder, and means to position said adjustable member so that said latch will pass said shoulder at a predetermined point in the movement of the sound-conveying element.

6. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, an adjustable member moved by the sound-conveying element and provided with a shoulder, a pivoted latch connected with said brake member, said latch adapted to engage said movable momber to retain said brake member out of braking position and to release said brake member upon passing said shoulder. and means to adjust saidmovable member to predetermine whether or not said latch shall pass said shoulder during the operative movement of the sound-conveying element.

7. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to' engage said record-support, an adjustable member moved by the sound-conveying element and provided with a shoulder, a pivoted latch connected with said brake member, said latch adapted to engage said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position and to release said brake member upon passing said shoulder, and means to position said movable member b inward movement of the sound-conveying e ement to predeterminately release said brake member.

8. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, and means connected with said brake member and coacting with said movable member to release said brake member upon initial movement of the sound-conveying element toward starting position.

9. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the soundconveying element, and a pivoted latch connected to said brake member and adapted to engage said movable member to retain the brake member out of braking posi tion, said latch being movable to release said brake member by movement of the sound conveying element toward starting position.

10. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, and means connected with said brake member and coacting with said movable member to retain said brake member out of braking position during operative movement of the sound-conveying element and to release said brake member upon initial movement of the soundconveying element in the opposite direction.

11. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, a member moved by the sound-conveying element, and means connected with said brake member and coacting with said movable member to control said brake member, said movable member being adjustable to render said brake member operative at a predetermined point in the travel of the sound-conveying element or only by movement of said sound-conveying element in the opposite direction.

12. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a movable sound-conveying element, a brake member adapted to engage said record-support, and controlling means for said brake member comprising a member moved by the sound-conveying element and adjustable to render said brake member operative by movement of the sound-com ey g le n in either direction or in one direction on y.

13. The combination ofa rotary recordsupport, a tone-arm, a tone-arm support provided with a chamber, a brake member, and a member in said chamber moved by frictional engagement with the tone-arm and controlling said brake member.

14. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a sound-conveying element, a brake member, an adjustable member moved by the tone-arm, means coacting with said member and connected with said brake member to control the same, and an adjustable abutment to position said member by engagement therewith when the sound-conveying element is in stopping position.

15. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a tone-arm, a tone-arm support provided with a chamber, a brake member, a member in said chamber moved by the tone-arm and controlling the brake member, and a stop in said chamber to position said member for actuation of said brake member when said tone-arm reaches a predetermined point in its traverse of the record.

16. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a tone-arm, a tone-arm support provided with a chamber, a brake member, a member in said chamber moved by the tonearm and means connected with said brake member and coactin with said movable member to release said brake member, movement of said member in said chamber to one limit positioning said movable member to release said brake member automatically when the tone-arm reaches a predetermined position in its operative movement, and movement of said member in said chamber to its opposite limit rendering said brake member releasable only by manual movement of said tone-arm.

17. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a tone-arm, a member adapted to embrace said tone-arm, said member having an arcuate face concentric with the axis of movement of said tone-arm, a recess to pro vide a shoulder at one end of said arcuate face and a handle for adjusting said member with respect to said tone-arm, a brake member, and means connected to said brake member and coacting with said movable member to control said brake member.

18. The combination of a rotary recordsupport, a sound-conveying element, a member moved thereby, a brake member normally urged into engagement with the record-support, and means connected with said brake member and coacting with said movable member to retain said brake member in non-breaking position, said last-named means being operable by initial movement of the sound-conveying element toward gtarting position to release said brake mem- 19. The combination of a rotary record- PP W, sound-conveying element, a memher moved thereby and provided with a shoulder, a brake member normally urged initial movement of the sound-conveying into engagement with the record-support, element toward starting position to .release 10 and means connected with said brake memsaid brake member.

her and coaeting with said movable member In testimony whereof I have signed this to retain said brake member in non-braking specification.

position, said last-named means being oper- FRANK C. HINCKLEY.

able by movement past said shoulder or by 

